The field of the present disclosure relates generally to aircraft manufacturing and, more specifically, to systems and methods of installing a bulkhead within a fuselage.
At least some known aircraft components may be fabricated from multi-layer laminate structures of non-metallic composite materials such as carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). Composite materials generally have a high strength-to-weight ratio and may be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes. To reduce the weight of an aircraft, the composite materials may be used in combination with metallic materials, such as aluminum, titanium, and/or steel. Reducing overall weight generally contributes to increasing the fuel efficiency of the aircraft.
At least some known aircraft include bulkheads fabricated at least partially from composite materials. Installation of a bulkhead within a barrel section of a fuselage, for example, generally includes positioning the bulkhead within the barrel section with an interference fit. More specifically, the bulkhead is forced into position within the barrel section with one or more tools from outside of the barrel section. Moreover, in one known process, at least one pair of fastener holes defined in the bulkhead and the barrel section facilitate determining a final installation position of the bulkhead within the barrel section when the pair of fastener holes is aligned. However, bulkheads fabricated from composite materials are generally flexible, thereby limiting the effectiveness of forcing the bulkhead into the final installation position even when a large amount of pressure is applied, and causing difficulties in aligning the pair of fastener holes. Moreover, alignment of the pair of fastener holes is further complicated by the relatively large size of bulkhead.